RECOMMENDED

Liz Powell became a new addition to the Broken Social Scene family this year, bringing its count to 398 members, if I did my math right, and her band Land of Talk became a familiar name in the indie-rock scene when it released its debut full-length, “Some Are Lakes,” last October on Saddle Creek. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Powell has been playing music since she was fourteen, but it wasn’t until she met drummer Andrew Barr and bassist Chris McCarron at Montreal’s Concordia University that Land of Talk was born. (Joe Yarmush replaced McCarron when he amicably left to join fellow Montrealans The Dears. McCarron also didn’t perform on “Some Are Lakes,” though he did play on the previous EPs. The more you know.) Her female counterparts in BSS also have their own solo and/or band projects—Leslie Feist’s light-rock, Emily Haines somber piano work with the Soft Skeleton and synthy indie-rock with Metric, Amy Millan’s mellow alt-country/bluegrass while solo and indie-pop/rock with Stars and Lisa Lobsinger’s indie-pop with Reverie Sound Revue—but Powell’s Land of Talk is more of a straight-up guitar-rock band. “Some Are Lakes” is a pretty good record, highlights including the poppy rock of the title track and “Yuppy Flu” as well as the beautiful, mellow “It’s Okay” and “Troubled.” (Kelley Hecker)

December 12 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, (773)276-3300. 9:30pm. $8.

RECOMMENDED

Toronto post-rockers Do Make Say Think have been together for nearly fifteen years and never once have given a shit about throwing out a three-minute pop song in an attempt to grab the attention of the ADD-riddled masses. Instead, Ohad Benchetrit, Charles Spearin and co. have stuck to what they know and love: sprawling instrumentals incorporating everything from the usual guitar/drum/keyboard/bass combo to flute, saxophone, horns and violin. The octet is touring behind its sixth release, May’s “Other Truths,” a set of four lengthy tracks, each named after a verb from the band’s name. The members of DMST certainly have a hell of a lot going on, as half are part of the indie-rock super-group Broken Social Scene, which has like 397 members, not to mention various side projects of their own. In addition to “Other Truths,” Spearin and Benchetrit each released self-titled debut solo albums this year, “The Happiness Project” and “Years,” respectively, and both are doing double duty on this trek. If experimental instrumental rock is your thing, these are the bands you need to be listening to. (Kelley Hecker)

December 4 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, (773)525-2508. 10pm. $15. December 5 at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, (773)525-2501. 10pm. $15.

RECOMMENDED

Ohad Benchetrit’s instrumental solo project, simply titled Years, is an exploration of acoustic-guitar compositions matched with IDM softness, an ambient, mood-setting affair that’s gentle, melancholy and sweetly pleasing. The self-titled record released earlier this year has plenty of bedroom-studio tricks and precious transitions to indicate that this is, above all, a side project, and eyebrow-raising song titles like “Are You Unloved,” “Don’t Let the Blind Go Deaf” and “Hey Cancer…Fuck You!” don’t exactly show Benchetrit at his most serious. That said, the Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene multi-instrumentalist has carefully crafted a rewarding record of blips and beeps that somehow doesn’t seem overly distant or detached like most IDM. The songs are short, but the arrangements boom and intersect with precision. (Tom Lynch)

December 4 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, (773)525-2508, at 10pm, and December 5 at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, (773)525-2508, at 10pm.

RECOMMENDED

Montreal’s Amy Millan has been releasing a steady stream of records with indie-poppers Stars since 2001, but before that, Millan was a member of the roots-rock band 16 Tons. It was then she wrote the majority of the songs that appeared on her solo debut, the country-folk “Honey From the Tombs,” released in 2006. With Stars taking a break after touring relentlessly behind their 2007 full-length “In Our Bedroom After the War” and 2008 EP “Sad Robots,” Millan made her way to the Ontario woods in December to begin work on her sophomore album, the quaint “Masters of the Burial,” released last month. Four of the eleven tracks are covers—including a sleepy bluegrass take on Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”—but all are lovely. Millan says the record is “the sound of someone climbing into bed”—it may not be a high-energy affair, but it sure as hell will be a beautiful and intimate one. (Kelley Hecker)

October 16 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, (773)276-3600. 10pm. $12.

RECOMMENDED

I’ve always had a bit of a sweet spot for Canadians The Most Serene Republic, fully aware that the uppity, glitchy electro-indie-pop often leads to so many new directions crammed into one song that it completely defeats itself. That and the fact that uppity electro-indie-pop can be really annoying. This band has a handful of charming releases, its newest being “…And the Ever Expanding Universe,” which doesn’t add too much to the discussion but is lovely enough. “No One Likes a Nihilist,” the album’s closer, could be the best song the band’s put together so far, a Broken Social Scene-like beauty with a solid indie-rock groove and alternating boy-girl vocals. I’ve never seen this band live, but I have a feeling it might be a huge mess. With all these elements, it’s a recipe for a landslide of muddled noise. Most acts I’ve encountered that are this reliable on electronics are better left on record. However, this band’s penchant for penning the unexpected melodic turn could make for an amazing live show just the same. (Tom Lynch)

September 10 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, (773)525-2508, at 9pm. $10-$12.

By Tom Lynch

“Does this mean I can leave early?”

That’s the question I’ve heard most from friends and acquaintances attending Lollapalooza this year as they look over the three-day schedule. That’s because Chicago’s Lollapalooza, in its fifth incarnation since the Grant Park debut in the summer of 2005, hasn’t had a weaker lineup.

Anybody want to disagree? Looking back at previous years, it makes this weekend’s festival seem even thinner. Read the rest of this entry »

Trio in Stereo isn’t a trio at all. The core group is a quintet. But then if people who contribute to the group’s recordings and who occasionally join them for performances were included, the trombonist, the trumpeter, the cellist, the violist and the additional singers, the band’s roster easily exceeds ten people.

The group formed six years ago in Bloomington, Indiana, where all of the five full-time members went to college at Indiana University, studying subjects such as ethnomusicology, classical guitar and classical piano, giving the band a wide array of influences to draw from in addition to current, popular music. Read the rest of this entry »

The University of Chicago gets a jump-start on music-festival season with its annual Summer Breeze event on May 16. The university’s radio station, WHPK 88.5 FM, has chosen an eclectic lineup this year, including Thomas Function, Cause Co-Motion, Johnny and the Limelites, White Mystery and The Names that Spell. “We just look for interesting bands that we play on the radio station,” says WHPK’s Katie Buitrago. “We want to expose people to something that they might be hearing more of in the future.” The event will also host heavy hitters like Santogold and Broken Social Scene, courtesy of the university’s Major Activities Board. Over the years, Summer Breeze has morphed from an end-of-the-year tradition for U of C students into a full-on festival that attracts music lovers from the South Side and beyond. “People come from all over the city,” Buitrago says. “It exposes people to music that they might not see otherwise.” 

RECOMMENDED

Does anyone else find it peculiar that the two most prominent indie-rock supergroups (Broken Social Scene, New Pornographers) are both exclusively Canadian? What the hell, America—are the Raconteurs the best we can do? Anyway, the pride of Toronto, Broken Social Scene, continue its “Broken Social Scene Presents…” series with co-founder Brendan Canning’s solo debut “Something For All of Us…,” a consistently pleasant collection of baroque pop tunes that establishes Canning as the steady foil to Kevin Drew’s sloshed and cocky frontman persona. “Something” never strives to blow you away, but dense production and precise, intricate arrangements reward repeat listens better than Drew’s “Spirit If…” did. Ultimately, it’s the perfect album for chilling on a beanbag, cozying up with a delicious Labatt Blue and pondering whether or not indie supergroups should combine to form musical Justice Leagues. (Andy Seifert)

October 9 at Metro, 3730 N. Clark, (773)549-0203

By Tom Lynch

Last year’s Hideout Block Party sticks in my memory for two reasons. One, when The Frames’ Glen Hansard played his “Falling Slowly” song from the film “Once,” the crowd singing its cathartic chorus back to him in unison, it was one of the more touching moments of live music I’ve seen in recent years. But more importantly, the communal atmosphere of the setup, the overall sweeping blanket of togetherness that Hideout’s annual two-day party provides, prevails in my mind. It simply has what most live music festivals do not: heart.

Each summer Chicago sees countless music festivals, some big, some small, some decent, but most tedious. The common complaint is that the sound is substandard—sure, that’s true, it would be much more satisfying to see any band within the confines of an Empty Bottle or a Schubas or a Metro. My issue’s with the bullshit scenester meet-and-greet attitude in which the cattle dress to impress and the music’s lost forever and ever. (Please shutup about your condo. Sam Beam’s being introspective again and I can’t hear him.) Some of the best moments for me from this year’s Pitchfork fest were when fantastic outfit ensembles, intricately orchestrated days in advance I’m sure, were corrupted almost immediately by rain, mud and sweat. Call me a grouch, that’s fair, but it sure was amusing, much more so than Jay Reatard, at least.

But there were, of course, some really great moments this summer as well. Pitchfork had its Mission of Burma, Caribou, Fleet Foxes, Dinosaur Jr., HEALTH and, most importantly, an unforgettable set from Jason Pierce and Spiritualized. Lollapalooza managed even better with sets from Explosions in the Sky, Broken Social Scene, Lupe Fiasco, Kid Sister, The National and (of course) Radiohead that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Yet, neither will the Rage Against the Machine debacle—it’ll be interesting to see how something like that is better prepared for next summer. (Dates announced already, August 7-9, save the weekend!) Andrew Bird did Chicago good to thousands at Millennium Park just a couple weeks ago; hell, I caught a Cursive set at the Belmont Arts & Music Festival back in June and it was serene. My personal favorite festival moment, however, came on day three of Lollapalooza, walking the Columbus stretch from one end to the other, jabbing with a friend something absurd about Perry Farrell’s protocol, only to be passed by the man himself, being escorted by golf cart, milliseconds later; the smirk on his face, directed squarely at us, has branded itself permanently into my being. And Jane says I’ve never been in love.

Point is, I see the Hideout Block Party, which turns 12 this weekend, as the closing ceremonies to a summer of outdoor noise, and a fitting one at that. Its laidback nature suits the dawn the autumn and, if nothing else, the bill is rich. Saturday includes headliner Neko Case, Monotonix (whose “Body Language” is powerful), Plastic People of the Universe and Little Cow; Sunday’s even better, with Tim Fite, Mucca Pazza, Dark Meat (a must-see), Robbie Fulks, Rhymefest, The New Pornographers (pictured), Ratatat and a closing DJ set by Hercules and the Love Affair. Not bad for a parking lot. The allure of Hideout for me, other than the digs, has always been its apparent booking of friends and supporters—its support of hometown talent, for sure, but also putting up bands that give you a strange sense of comfort. It’s nice to see them not betray that with its biggest event of the year.

Despite some disappointments—let’s face it, Kanye was boring, yet Nine Inch Nails didn’t do much to lure you away—the end of the summer rock-festival season tastes bittersweet. Maybe it’s the impending doom of another worst Midwestern winter ever, maybe the sun already sets too early and we’re clinging to whatever strands of warmth and livelihood we can still grasp. The elite fall schedules for just about every rock club should keep your spirits high—nearly every night from now until Thanksgiving one venue or another has something worth checking out. If this weekend offers anything as striking as the “Falling Slowly” moment of last September, I might deem this entire season a success.

If not, hey, we got My Bloody Valentine next week. You’re going, right?

The 12^th Annual Hideout Block Party takes place September 20-21 at Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia, (773)227-4433, from noon-10pm each day. $25-$45.